Motorcycle carrier

Claim 1

A motorcycle rack for carrying a motorcycle on a step bumper of a road vehicle, said step bumper having a horizontal surface and a vertical surface having a bottom edge, the rack comprising: a. an elongate base member of substantially U-shaped crosssectional configuration adapted to receive a motorcycle, said base member having: a pivot end and a loading end; and an aperture in the web of the U adjacent the pivot end shaped and dimensioned to receive a portion of a wheel of a motorcycle; b. means for pivotally attaching the pivot end of said base member to the step bumper at an acute angle thereto, the axis of the pivot being horizontal to permit the arcuate movement of the loading end between a ground-contacting loading position and a horizontal carrying position; c. an inclined standard for supporting the motorcycle, said standard extending upwardly from said base member toward the road vehicle; d. lift means for raising and lowering the loading end from the loading position to the horizontal carrying position including: a jack mounted on the step bumper and having a lift mechanism; a moveable cantilevered support means adapted to pivotally connect the loading end of the base member to the lift mechanism of the jack, said support means being vertically supported by the jack and horizontally supported and guided by the step bumper in vertical sliding relationship thereto; e. stop means having a finger extending horizontally from the base member toward the bottom edge of the step bumper, said finger having an upturned end adapted to engage the bottom edge of the step bumper in wedging relationship.